Troy's Damion Willis catches a pass over his shoulder during the first quarter. (Photo: Kirsten Fiscus/Advertiser)

On Troy’s game-opening drive, the Trojans faced second-and-35 from their own 10 when Sawyer Smith threw to Willis for a 49-yard gain.

On Troy’s second drive, Smith threw to Willis for a 75-yard score.

At the end of one quarter, Willis already had a career-best 137 yards.

“What he did was amazing, but that’s what we expect from D-Will,” Troy linebacker Tron Folsom said. “He gets better and better every week. One thing about him, he practices every day just like he plays.”

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Troy's Damion Willis snatches the ball out of the air with one hand on a wild pass. It was his final catch in a 213-yard effort that ranks second in school history.(Photo: Kirsten Fiscus/Advertiser)

By halftime, Willis was at 184 yards receiving, good enough for eighth on Troy’s all-time single-game list.

After three, he was at 199 — with just six performances ahead of them. Of those, only Jerrel Jernigan was from the 21st century. Jernigan had 209- and 203- yard games in 2010 and 2009, respectively.

By the end, only Grant loomed larger.

“When you’re in the conversation with school records and a Super Bowl winner (Jernigan), you’re definitely doing good stuff,” running back B.J. Smith said.

Willis, who caught five passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in Troy’s previous game at South Alabama, had 10 receptions Saturday.

His last was a one-handed grab in front of the Lafayette bench, a 14-yard gain that put him second on Troy’s list. Rufus Cox — 212 yards receiving vs. Central State (Ohio) in November 1984 — moved to third.